Liner plate



A ril 19, 1938. A. #QUKAL 2,114,834

' LINER PLATE Filed June 24, 1936 r 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M M II: I\ lllultllHlHlill lMilll WWW 4 lllilMiHllilHlHlllW m um! WWIINIHHIIHYIWHW April 19, 19,38.

A. FOUKAL LINER PLATE 3 Sheet S-She et 2 Filed June 24, 1936 ANTHONY FOUKA L April 19, 1938. A. FOUKAL LINER PLATE FiledJune 24, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE 3110c Mom ANTI-ION) FOUKAL,

Patented Apr. 1938 LINER PLATE Anthony Foukal, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Truscon Steel Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Michigan -Application June 24, 1936, Serial No. 87,090

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to tunnelliner plates, and more particularly to plates which are intended to be used in lining a tunnel built by the shield method, in which a shield is driven through the ground, and a lining is built up inside of the shield andin the rear of its cutting edge. It is common practice in the building of such tunnels, to drive the shield forward through the earth --by hydraulic jacks, and to use the already constructed portion of the lining as a bearing mem ber, against which the'rear portions of the jacks thrust as they force the shield ahead.

In order to withstand this pressure exerted by the jacks, various structures of I-beams, etc. have been resorted to to reenforce the lining and bear the thrust.

One object of the present invention is to pro-- vide a plate having novel reenforcing means, whereby a lining constructed of such plates will withstand thrust of the jacks, and in which there will be a continuity of thrust resisting elements from the forward portion of the lining where the thrust is exerted rearwardly through the entire length of the lining.

Another object is to provide a plate in which the reenforcing means do not interfere with the joining and securing together of adjacent plates.

These objects are attained in a simple and relatively inexpensive manner by the structure disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a section of a tunnel lining made up of the plates.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 isa sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

for se- Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the modified form of plate.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a section of tunnel lining built in the form of plate shown in Figures 1-6 inclusive.

Figure his a similar view showing a sectionof a lining constructed of plates of the form shown inFigures 7 to 9 inclusive.

Figure'5 isa perspective view of one embodi- Figures 12, 14 and 16 are sectional elevations showing various modified forms of plate.

Figures 13, 15 and 17 are sectional views taken on the lines |3-l3, l5l5 and ll--Il of Fig-- ures 12, 14 and 16, respectively.

Describing the drawings more particularly, and referring to Figure 1, a section of tunnel lining is shown made up of a plurality of plates designated II]. In order to clearly identify the margins of the plates, the edges which are toward the front or rear of the tunnel are designated as sides, while those parallel to the axis of the tunnel are called ends. Each plate I0 is composed of a skin plate H which forms the outer side of the lining, and which is preferably curved in a circumferential direction. At each side of the plate ll there is an inwardly extending flange l2 which is preferably curved to conform to the curvature of the plate ll. Each end of the plate H is provided with an inwardly extending flange 13 which is preferably ofsomewhat less depth than are the flanges I2. The flanges l2 and I3 are provided with suitable bolt-receiving openings I4 for the reception of bolts l5 or other suitable securing means'for holding the plates in assembled relation.

In order that the individual plates as well as the complete lining may resist the longitudinal thrust exerted by the hydraulic jacks in forcing the shield ahead through the earth, a thrust ting relation with the side flanges l2 of the-plate ID. The inner apices of the corrugations ll are preferably in abutting relation with the inner surface of the plate II. The plates l6 may be secured to theplates I0 in anysuitable manner, for example, by welding, as at IS, the ends of the corrugated plate to the flanges l2.

In order to properly fasten the ends of adjacent plates together, supplemental securing means may be supplied. Thus additional plates l9 are illustrated as welded to the inner surfaces of the flanges l2 of adjacent plates, and overlying the flanges l3, the plates l9 bridging the flanges l3 and the joints between them. A convenient form is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, where the supplemental plates I!) are shown'as welded to the flanges l2 at one side of a plate, the intention being that these plates may be welded to iii .not have separate thrust and skin plates.

the flanges I2 of the next adjacent plate in the field, and after the plates have been assembled in place. The supplemental plate may be welded to the flanges of both plates after assembly.

The extended flanges l2, besides performing the function of bolting flanges are intended to obviate the necessity. of disposing circular -I- beams between longitudinally adjacent sections of the lining as has heretofore been practiced in tunnel lining structures. The purpose of these extended flanges is to bear the circumferential load upon the tunnel lining which has heretofore been generally borne by I-beams or other structural members.

In.Figures 7 to 9 inclusive a modification is shown in which structural members for supporting the circumferential load upon the lining are provided. In this structure the skin plate 20 is provided with side flanges 2| which may be of substantially the same height as the end flanges 22 and both the flanges 2| and 22 may be substantially equal in height to the corrugations of the thrust plate 23. In this form the supplemental plates, as IQ of the previously described embodiment, are unnecessary inasmuch as the structural members 24, besides bearing the circumferential load, rigidly position the plates with respect to one another.

The side flanges 2| are provided with bolt openings 25 which, for convenience of access, are located in the open corrugations of the plate 23. The bolt openings 25 are suitably spaced to register with bolt openings 26 in the structural members. The end flanges 22 are provided with bolt holes 21 for the fastening together of laterally adjacent sections.

The liner plates may be made of any suitable material, such as steel, or any suitable corrosion resisting or other alloy. The modification shown in Figures '7 to 9 may be used with any sort of suitable reinforcing structure or shape instead of the illustrated structural members 28.

Preferably the liner plates I will be manufactured with sharp corners as at 28, in order that they may be joined together in a structure having a substantially imperforate outer surface. Such a structure is desirable when for any reason a tunnel is not to be provided with some type of inner lining, as illustrated at 29 in Figure 1. The sharp cornered plates may be fabricated by forming the side flanges l2 integrally with the skin plates, it being necessary only that the flanges be parallel in order to provide a tight joint between longitudinally adjacent plates. The end flanges l3 may be welded in position between the side flanges and are preferably welded continuously along each edge at the plate or flange.

The modified plate illustrated in Figure 4 does In this form of plate the corrugated thrust resisting member 35 performs also the function of the skin plate, namely, that of holding the earth out of the'tunnel. The plate 35 is mounted between two side flanges 36 that are welded to its sides and flanges 31 are welded to its ends.

This modification is suitable for use in the construction of tunnels where it is not necessary to leave surface conditions above the tunnel undisturbed. After the shield has moved beyond the lining the earth will settle and pack into the corrugations on the outside of the lining, and it will be readily seen that such settling might cause abutting portion of the would be undesirable, for example, in tunneling beneath city streets. V

The modifications of Figures 14 and 16 simply disclose the different methods in which the flanges may be secured to a skin plate. In Figures l4 and 15 the skin plate 31 is between the top portions of the plates 38 that form the side flanges, while in the modification of Figures 16 and 17, the sides of the skin plate 39 overlie the one edge of each of the side plates 60 that act as flanges.

By referring to Figures 10 and 11 and l and 2 the advantages of a lining built of plates supplied with the corrugated reenforcing members of this invention will be apparent. .It is advantageous in tunnel lining practice to stagger the joints of plates forming successive courses, and by providing the plates with reenforcing members that extend continuously throughout the length of each, the joints may be staggered, while the lining will be reenforced against distortion due to the thrust at all points and a continuous thrustresisting structure will be established from the forward end of the lining straight back through the tunnel.

It will be appreciated that the corrugations of the plates of successive courses need not register. The extended area which the sides of the corrugated plates cover gives bearings of such large extent that thrust is transmitted from one corrugated plate to the others regardless of the regisdetails may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a liner plate for tunnels including a skin plate having forward and rear sides, and flanges along the said sides, a corrugated thrust plate positioned between the flanges the ends of the corrugations at its edges being in abutting relation with the inner sides of the flanges.

2. In a liner plate for tunnels including a skin plate having flanges along its forward and rear edges, a corrugated thrust plate positioned between the flanges and adjacent and underlying the skin plate, the apices of the corrugations of one side of the thrust plate being in abutting relation with the adjacent surface of the skin plate, and the opposite ends of the corrugations abutting against the respective flanges.

3. A liner plate for tunnels, comprising a skin plate curved to conform to the circumferential curve of a tunnel and having bolting flanges at each end, and load bearing flanges at each side, and a thrust plate positioned between the flanges and having edges in abutting relation with the sides of the load bearing flanges, the said thrust plate having corrugations substantially parallel to the axis of the curve of the skin plate and extending between the edges that are in abutting relation with the said load bearing flanges.

4. A liner plate for tunnels comprising a curved skin plate having curved bolting flanges along its curved sides and bolting flanges of substantially the same depth along its ends, and a corrugated thrust plate mounted between the flanges and having its edges in abutting relation with the curved flanges, the thrust plate being curved to liner plates arranged in side by side relation in conform to the curve of the skin plate and the corrugations of the said plate being substantially equal in height to the flanges, and substantially parallel to the axis of the curve of the plates.

5. A liner plate for tunnels comprising a skin plate, flanges at opposite edges of the skin plate, a thrust plate having both inwardly andoutwardly extending corrugations of substantially the same height as the flanges, the thrust plate being located between the flanges and with the edges abutting the sides of the flanges, the corrugations of the thrust plate being disposed substantially at right angles to the flanges, and the said flanges having bolt holes located between adjacent outwardly extending corrugations and between the walls of inwardly extending corrugations.

6. A lining for tunnels including a plurality of axially abutting circumferential courses, the said liner plates including thrust plates having longitudinal corrugations disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the tunnel and a circumferential load bearing structural member interposed flanges overlying and abutting the ends of the corrugations of the plate.

' ANTHONY FDUKAL. 

